Dairy cases



June 23, 1964 w. H. SCHRAY DAIRY CASES Filed Feb. 15, 19s:

INVENTOR WALTER H. SCHRAY I 7 .ip aaa gfir lllll Wlwi 9 b \Sx 4ATTORNEY.

United States Patent 3,138,281 DATRY CASES Walter H. Sehray, BattleCreek, Mich assignor to United Steel 8; Wire Company, Battle Creek,Mich, a corporation of Michigan Filed Feb. 15, 1963, Ser. No. 258,772Claims. (Cl. Elli- 19) The general object of the invention is to providea wire milk case with a top frame designed to allow the unhamered entryinto the case of paper or glass quarts, half gallons, pints, or othersizes, when such containers are fed from an automatic casing machine,said frame being of maximum strength to withstand deformation.

A feature of the invention resides in the provision of a wire milk casewith an integral formed top frame.

Another feature provides for securing vertical side wires and cornerposts to a formed top section so that the entire top of a milk case isretained in smooth condition, despite sharp impact and hard wear. As aresult, cartons or bottles delivered to the case will not be snagged,scratched or punctured.

A further feature covers the provision of a reinforced formed top frame,stronger than the usual round wire top frame, so that a milk caseequipped with such formed frame will be kept in square conformation,despite hard use, for a longer period of time than has heretofore beenpossible with conventional wire top frames. This is of vital practicalimportance because in dairies using automatic casing machines, multipleloads of sixteen quarts or nine half gallons or other multiples aredelivered in a cube unit form at one time and the milk case must be keptin square to receive such loads expeditiously and without damage.

Further features will be more apparent from the following description ofa typical form of the invention in which FIG. 1 is a diagrammaticillustration of a wire milk case employing a formed top frame inaccordance with the invention; and

FIG. 2 is a detail showing a section of the integral formed top frameassembly.

In the milk trade it is desirable to utilize a case chassis which willbe compatiblewith automatic machinery used in modern dairies, such ascasers, stackers, destackers, pushers, conveyor lines and the like. Inutilizing automatic casing machines it is essential that multiple loadsbe accurately delivered, without interruption. Since a cube unit is ineffect dropped or pushed from such automatic casing machines into casesthat are delivered by conveyor, it is a prime necessity that the case besquare in order to receive the multiple loads, in quarts, half gallonsor other multiples which are delivered in cube unit form.

Such cases, in order to meet maximum standards of sanitation andeconomic handling are preferably made of wire.

In the operations of an efficient, sanitary dairy wire cases arepreferred. A wire case is readily flushed and kept clean; it may easilybe stacked with like cases; and because of the material and mode ofassembly, a longer life is usually assured than when wood cases areused. However, a wire case, after constant subjection to hard handling,including dropping, which cannot readily be avoided, is often pushed,pulled, twisted or otherwise knocked out of shape due to machineryhandling, case-contact, and the other vicissitudes of wear and tear inand out of the dairy plant. The batter and misuse of cases presents aserious and costly problem in dairy product handling and delivery.

Applicants milk case with its special snag free and formed frameconstruction has solved the problems incident to making and retaining amilk case in square conformation regardless of rough usage.

Referring to the drawings, numeral 3 refers generally the intermediatebottom reinforcing rods 8 and at their ends to bottom perimeter framemember 7.

A series of intermediate perimeter frame members 10 are in parallelrelationship with one another and are spaced between the bottomperimeter frame member 7 and formed top frame member 11. Members 10 arewelded to the outer surfaces of inside corner posts 6. Bottom perimeterframe member 7 is welded to the outside surface of a bottom recessedportion 12 of each outside corner post 5. Each outside corner postSincluding its recessed portion and companion inside corner posts 6 areintegral and preferably formed from one piece of metal. a 1

Vertical reinforcing bars 13 are connected to bottom perimeter member 7,intermediate perimeter members 10 and to top formed frame member 11.

The formed top frame member 11 consists of an upper circumferential bar14 having a cross section 15 substantially of rectangular conformationexcept for rounded corners. The longer dimension of section 15 isgreater than that of the other heavy members such as bottom stackingframe member 4, bottom perimeter frame member 7, or the intermediateperimeter frame members 19. The upper circumferential bar 14 hasintegral therewith and depending therefrom an apron 16 formed with a lip17.

The upper circumferential bar 14 is connected to the inside corner posts6 at the upper extremities thereof and to the tops of verticalreinforcing bars 13. However, the apron 16 also envelopes the upperperimeter of the case and lip 17, integral therewith, is also welded tothe inside corner posts and vertical reinforcing bars 13. There is anopening 18 between the lip portion 17 of apron 15 and the bottom seat 19of circumferential bar 14.

The combination of upper circumferential section 15 designed with broadbottom seat 19, apron 16 with contacting lip 17, and the orificeformation 18 therebetween, comprises the formed top frame memberassembly.

Applicants construction makes the formed top frame member the strongestpart of .case 3. While the provision of the lip 17 spaced by orifice 18from the upper section 15 provides adequate resilience in handling andstacking, the integral reinforced structure provides sturdiness neverbefore obtained in milkcase construction. Maximum strength is affordedto withstand buifeting and assure keeping the case in square so thatdespite hard usage it will over a long life span receive, substantiallytrouble free, cube units of multiple packages delivered to it fromautomatic casing machines.

It will be understood that the features and advantages of the inventionmay be obtained despite variations in the elements of applicants case asspecifically described in connection with the illustrative drawings.

I claim:

1. In a milk case of the character described, means for retaining thecase in square conformation regardless of rough usage comprising abottom perimeter frame member made of wire, intermediate perimeter framemembers made of wire, a top frame member, corner posts connected to saidframe members, intermediate bottom reinforcing rods connected to thebottom perimeter frame member, cross rods connected to the intermediatebottom reinforcing rods and to the bottom perimeter frame member,vertical reinforcing bars connected to said bottom perimeter framemember, the intermediate perimeter frame members and to said top framemember, the top frame member being formed of metal to provide anoverlapping portion projecting over the top of the case and anoverlapping portion projecting over the sides of the case, saidoverlapping portions being continuous and providing a smooth top andside surface.

2. In a dairy case of the character described, a series of framemembers, corner posts attached to said frame members, reinforcing rodsrunning horizontally of the case, reinforcing bars running vertically ofthe case, said bars and rods being attached to said frame members, and aformed top connected to said corner posts and vertical bars, said formedtop being superposed upon the upper extremities of said corner posts andbars, a portion of said formed top frame enveloping the uppermostextremities of each side of the case gripping the uppermost portions ofsaid corner posts and bars, and a portion of said formed top frameoverlying the top perimeter of the case opening to provide a smoothrigid boundary for the case opening.

3. In a dairy case in accordance with claim 2, said formed topconsisting of an integral piece of formed metal having an uppercircumferential bar projecting beyond said reinforcing bars, and anapron positioned substantially parallel with and attached to thereinforcing bars.

4. In a dairy casein accordance with claim 3, said apron having a lipprojecting inwardly, the lip being fastened to the corner posts andvertical reinforcing bars.

5. In a dairy case of the character described, a series of framemembers, corner posts attached to said frame members, reinforcing rodsrunning horizontally of the case, reinforcing bars running vertically ofthe case, said bars and rods being attached to said frame members, aformed top connected to said corner posts and vertical bars, said formedtop comprising a circumferential bar connected to the corner posts atthe upper extremities thereof and to the tops of said verticalreinforcing bars, said top including an apron enveloping the upperperimeter of the case, said apron having a lip integral therewith Weldedto the inside corner posts and vertical reinforcing bars, thecircumferential bar having a bottom seat, the bottom seat and lip beinginterpositioned with an opening therebetween.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,581,613 Ullrich Jan. 8, 1952 2,952,382 Rehrig Sept. 13, 1960 2,980,282Young Apr. 18, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,026,525 France Apr. 28, 1953

1. IN A MILK CASE OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED, MEANS FOR RETAINING THECASE IN SQUARE CONFORMATION REGARDLESS OF ROUGH USAGE COMPRISING ABOTTOM PERIMETER FRAME MEMBER MADE OF WIRE, INTERMEDIATE PERIMETER FRAMEMEMBERS MADE OF WIRE, A TOP FRAME MEMBER, CORNER POSTS CONNECTED TO SAIDFRAME MEMBERS, INTERMEDIATE BOTTOM REINFORCING RODS CONNECTED TO THEBOTTOM PERIMETER FRAME MEMBER, CROSS RODS CONNECTED TO THE INTERMEDIATEBOTTOM REINFORCING RODS AND TO THE BOTTOM PERIMETER FRAME MEMBER,VERTICAL REINFORCING BARS CONNECTED TO SAID BOTTOM PERIMETER FRAMEMEMBER, THE INTERMEDIATE PERIMETER FRAME MEMBERS AND TO SAID TOP FRAMEMEMBER, THE TOP FRAME MEMBER BEING FORMED OF METAL TO PROVIDE ANOVERLAPPING PORTION PROJECTING OVER THE TOP OF THE CASE AND ANOVERLAPPING PORTION PROJECTING OVER THE SIDES OF THE CASE, SAIDOVERLAPPING PORTIONS BEING CONTINUOUS AND PROVIDING A SMOOTH TOP ANDSIDE SURFACE.